Process of generating acetylene gas.



NITE Status *Arnir rricni,

HENRY SPENCER BLAOKMORE, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,521, datedSeptember 10, 1901.

Application filed $eptemher 17, 1896. Renewed January 19, 1901. SerialNo. 43,952. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that Ll-IENRY SPENCER BLACK- MORE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city of Mount Vernon, in the county ofVVestchester and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Processes of Producing Hydrogen Oarbids, of which thefollowingis a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce hydrogen carbids, such asacetylene gas, by chemical means and in such a manner as to economizethe cost of production as found hitherto; and it consists in bringing agaseous hydrogen acid, preferably hydrogen sulfid, in contact with ironcarbid in a heated state, and preferably in an atmoshere of hy drogengas.

In carrying out my invention on a practical basis I proceed as follows:I take iron carbid, break the same in small pieces, place it in aretort, and heat it to a bright red. I then pass through the retort astream of hydrogensulfid gas, together with a small portion of freehydrogen, whereby the hydrogen sulfid is dissociated by the heated ironcarbid, producing iron sulfid and generating acetylene. The object ofthe free hydrogen is to prevent dissociation of the acetylene producedat the high temperature employed. The reaction which takes place may beillustrated by the following chemical formula or equation:

After all the iron carbid is transformed into iron sulfid thehydrogen-sulfid gas is cut off and superheated steam introduced. Thisdecomposes the iron sulfid, producing hydrogen sulfid and free hydrogenand iron oxid. The hydrogen sulfid thus produced can be employed infurther conversion into acetylene. The reaction taking place can beillustrated by the following chemical formula or equation:

The iron oXid thus produced is mixed with coal-tar and heated in aretort having a vent for the escape of gaseous byproducts. The tar orcarbonaceous matter thus reduces the iron oxid to metallic state, and toits intimate contact with the carbonaceous matter becomes converted intoiron carbid, which after cooling is removed from the retort and brokenin small pieces. It can therefore be readily seen that the process canthus be carried on practically in a continuous manner, the sulfur beingtransferred from the hydrogen to the iron of the carbid with aproduction of iron sulfid, acetylene, and from hydrogen gases and thesulfur again united with hydrogen for future operation by action ofsuperheated steam on the iron suliiid and finally the iron oxid thusproduced transformed into carbid by heating with carbonaceous matter.The various reactions may be illustrated thus:

Production of acetylene:

3H,S+2H+3Fe0,:3FeS+3O H +2IL Production of hydrogen sulfid:

3FeS+4H O:Fe O,+3H S-{2H.

Production of iron carbid:

Fe O +9G:3FeC +2OO+OO If hydrogen sulfid is introduced into the retortcontaining iron carbid without any appreciable amount of free hydrogen,much of the acetylene will be dissociated into other carbide, such asethylene, (OJ-L di-acetylene, (0 1-1 ethane, (O ll &c. Anyhydrogensuliid contaminating the hydrogen carbid produced can be readily removedby treatment With lime and ferric hydroxid in a manner commonly employedfor its removal from coal-gas. By passing the gas through a series ofretorts containing iron carbid in a heated state, however, nearly all ofthe hydrogen sulfid will be transformed into hydrogen carbid. Whileother hydrogen compounds of herein-described acid nature in gaseousstate might be employed under certain conditions without departing fromthe spirit of my invention, still I have found iron carbid and hydrogensulfid the most practical and economical, it being noted that the termhydrogen acid employed herein relates to a compound which need not haveactual physical acid properties, but, like acid, the hydrogen of whichis displaced by the base of the eXtraneously-heated metallic carbid byvirtue of the greater afiinity of the I oo acid or negative constituentof the compound for said carbid base and simultaneous affinity of thehydrogen for the carbon of the carbid producing hydrogen carbid.

The words metallic carbid used throughout this specification and claimshas reference to compounds of a metal or base with carbon of anyatomicity, be it a normal carbid or acetylid, and the word gaseous alsoto a dry aerioform condition, as would be produced by vaporizing thetransforming reagent employed with heat, as well as gas per se. The termdry as employed herein relates to the absence of water in its moist orWetting condition, above which in contact with carbid it has nochemically-heating powers, and the term extraneously heated as employedherein relates to a heated condition produced by means of a foreignagency, but relates in no manner to heat liberated by chemical reactionof the reagent with the carbids or their products.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The process of producing hydrogencarbids which consists in performing a double reaction between anextraneously-heated carbid and a dry hydrogen acid the hydrogen of whichhas greater affinity for the carbon of the carbid than it has for theacid constituout with Which it is combined in the presence of saidcarbid.

2. The process of producing hydrogen carbids which consists insubjecting metallic carbid to the action of hydrogen sulfid or itsdescribed equivalent, and simultaneously heating the mixture byextraneous heat.

3. The process of producing hydrogen carbids which consists insubjecting an extraneously-heated metallic carbid to the actions of anacid gas or its described equivalent.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 'myinvention I have signed myname, in presence of two witnesses, this 20th day of July, 1896.

HENRY SPENCER BLAOKMORE. [L. s]

Witnesses:

CHAs. A. SCHENCK, JAMES W. RIcH.

